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Women in Sudan need the message of the Father’s Love. Most women there don’t know that God loves them personally. Life is hard and the women have suffered greatly during the war years. Many grew up without Fathers, have lived their lives on the run, displaced from their homes by enemy soldiers. These women have so much grief!
Often the home has not been the place of security that it should be. They have known ever-present danger, harsh circumstances, early marriages and little education. Because of the widespread practice of polygamy and high dowry prices, women are more often viewed as possessions than a precious loved one. They have little control of their own lives, much less any say about their future. Because of this kind of treatment hopelessness and depression have been major problems among the women.
Christianity has always elevated the lives of women and Sudan is also responding to this message of the worth of women. The Psalms say “He is the glory and the lifter of my head”. Lives changed by the Gospel bring newfound hope for the future and a joy in living. At ‘Hope for the Future’ we want to see women have a vision for their lives and experience the grace and forgiveness that they can have through Christ.
Women’s Conferences: Our teams are particularly reaching out to women and girls in Southern Sudan with this message of hope. Women are excited to get together and some of our largest crowds are because of these events for women. Teams share their testimonies in the conferences, and challenge the young women to development and leadership. We have seen various tribes mix together in these events and develop friendships and common ground together.
Relief: Poverty is a hard taskmaster and the women of Southern Sudan have labored with few conveniences, carrying water great distances, searching for firewood, cutting the grass for the roofs of their tukuls along with all the other usual chores of the home. Building projects, more boreholes (capped wells), food distributions, used clothing for work are some of the projects we are working on that especially help the women and children in Sudanese society.
Education: We have a special emphasis as teams travel through the schools encouraging girls to stay in school. (Often girls drop out early as the families suffer financially, are married off in their early teens, or just generally not encouraged to leave the family chores to attend school.)
Medical: Many of our international teams include medical personnel and medical supplies and medicines. We put on clinics, well-baby checks, health education and crisis medical treatment. Prayer is always offered and we have seen many healings. Teams also teach an HIV/AIDS awareness seminar with literature in the schools and during village outreaches. The women and girls are also in need of basic hygiene, water treatment, and child development education. These types of prevention training are worth so much to the lives of young Sudanese women. Often there is no help for miles around to care for medical needs; a little education can make the difference between life and death.
Leadership: We encourage the young women to join our emerging leader development program and offer them the same opportunities to intern as we do the young men. Young women are ministering in church planting, ministry to children, teaching and discipling using their gifts to develop the country.
Community Centers: Our goal is to see community centers that train women in micro-business, family and health issues, as well as leadership development. They are invited in and especially encouraged in accordance with the goals of the New Sudan.
